04 Understanding Rollover Crashes

Question 1

Three common scenarios for fire apparatus rollovers

Answer 1

1. Rounding a curve to fast
2. Rounds corner at intersection
3. Apparatus leaves road and driver over corrects

Question 2

***** Tripped rollovers are caused when an object in the vehicle’s path blocks the movement of the tires, causing the vehicle to “trip” into a rollover.

Question 3

Factors of tripped rollover:

Answer 3

Speed when object was hit
Height of object
suspension and tire deflection

Question 4

Untripped rollovers are caused by the frictional force between the tire and the road surface.

Answer 4

They are also called maneuver-induced rollovers.

Question 5

Ways to increase the rollover threshold:

Answer 5

1. Increase the track width/make vehicle wider
2. Lowering the center of gravity
3. Stiffening the suspension components

Question 6

Best way to prevent rollovers?

Answer 6

Reduce the speed of the vehicle

Question 7

***** In addition to controlling vehicle speed, here are a bunch of other steps to take…

Answer 7

1. Ensure the vehicle is properly weighed each year *
2. Ensure weight is properly distributed
3. Ensure vehicle has proper tank baffles
4. Ensure vehicle’s tires are maintained/inflated
5. Ensure driver has knowledge of their district
6. Don’t approach intersections too fast
   6b. Don’t slam on brakes
7. Avoid drifting off the road
8. If the vehicle drifts, come to a complete stop.

Question 8

Making a fire truck more stable:

Answer 8

1. Shorten the lever (lower center of gravity)
2. Increase distance between rear wheels (increase track width)
3. Stiffen vehicle’s suspension

Question 9

5 recommendations to increase rollover safety:

Answer 9

1. Speed notification device
2. Governor
3. Rollover Warning Device
4. Black Box
5. Dual Tires on the Rear Axle

Question 10

If vehicle is not headed where it’s supposed to be going, the ________________ will activate one or more brakes and decrease the throttle in an attempt to correct the heading of the vehicle.

Answer 10

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)